Teaching & Learning

Seminar on Scientific Integrity and Research Ethics

Professor Michael W. Quick

The USC Center for Excellence in Teaching and the USC College Research Office invite graduate students from all disciplines, particularly those in the sciences, to register for this two-part seminar. Professor Michael W. Quick, Executive Vice Provost and Distinguished Faculty Fellow of the USC Center for Excellence in Teaching, will lead this seminar.

The majority of the class will be organized around the discussion of cases that illustrate legal or ethical aspects of conducting scientific research.

Successful completion of the course is based upon attendance of all sessions and class participation. At the end of the two-part seminar, students will receive a certificate stating that they have successfully completed this course.

There are no prerequisites to enroll. There is no cost to participants.

Purpose

If one asks most people, including scientists, about the concept of scientific integrity they will often focus on the idea of scientific misconduct related to faking data. But the greater issue of scientific integrity is the proper conduct of oneself as an academician and a scientist.

This course is designed to present philosophical but also practical aspects of the following issues:

What is appropriate scientific method and why is it different from other endeavors of learning about the world around us?

What are the specific federal and state laws that govern what we do as scientists?

What are the appropriate methods for record-keeping, authorship, and citation?

What are our obligations to animals and humans who are part of experiments?